Gastric band surgery prompts man to charity effort

A 32-stone man who had gastric band surgery has celebrated his weight loss by taking part in a charity fundraiser.

Steven Pulford, from Burnley suffered severe health problems as a result of his weight, which saw him confined to a wheelchair much of the time.

Now, after just a month he has lost four stone and has taken on the role of support van driver in a charity trip for Help for Heroes where five of his friends will cycle to Lands End from John O'Groats, the Burnley Citizen reported.

The 31-year-old told the local newspaper: "With every day that goes by I feel healthier and fitter. To be on this team is a dream come true. I've always been involved in charity work, but this means a lot as it's a personal challenge for everyone involved, especially me."

The group of friends is planning to cycle around 100 miles a day in order to complete the journey in ten days.